I’ve recently finished reading “A 30 Day Retreat: A Personal Guide to Spiritual Renewal” (Paulist Press, 176 pages, paperback) by Fr. William Mills. The book introduces the art of meditative Scripture reading, with a structure optimized for daily devotionals. Each of the thirty short chapters begins with a short Biblical passage, followed by reflections on the passage by Fr. Mills. These reflections come from Fr. Mill’s many life experiences: his personal anecdotes as a husband and father, and his spiritual insights as an Orthodox priest. The reflections cover the gamut of the spiritual life, from friendship to family life, from prayer to communal worship. Each chapter concludes with “Food for Thought”, self-probing questions that encourage practical application.
Fr. Mills is gifted at revealing God in everyday experiences. In stories of Winnie the Pooh, Fr. Mills finds John the Baptist. In a long Starbucks line he sees Advent’s expectation. And in the local news he sees the timeless stories of Scripture. Fr. Mills has an eye for the transcendent, and also a gift to describe it.
In “A 30 Day Retreat”, Fr. Mills teaches this divine detection through the practice of lectio devina, an ancient method of spiritual reading. Instead of skimming a chapter or two from the Bible, lectio devina requires a slow, repetitive reading of a short passage of Scripture, with contemplation saturated throughout. The deep meditation of lectio devina produces a conversion of the heart more than the head, leading to the recognition of God’s presence in all areas of life. While each chapter shows lectio devina in practice, its methods are fully explained in the book’s Appendix, as well.
Interestingly, “A 30 Day Retreat” is published by a Catholic publishing house and is written by an Orthodox priest. These two traditional influences are seen throughout the book, as Fr. Mill’s reflects on the Mass and the sacraments, while concluding with a final chapter on Mary. A Catholic or Orthodox reader would appreciate these emphases, but the references may grate on a Protestants. Nevertheless, I would still recommend “A 30 Day Retreat” to Protestant friends as a good introduction to spiritual reading.
If you want the words of the Bible to penetrate you deeper, I suggest exploring lectio devina. For a good introduction to this practice, read “A 30 Day Retreat” and have your heart transformed.
(Fr. Mills, who has a website and a blog, will be hosting an online retreat from June 1-June 30. If you are interested in reading through “A 30 Day Retreat”, I can’t think of a better way than with the author and a community. Stay tuned to Fr. Mill’s blog for more info on the retreat.)